We want to continue the conversation about the recent scheduling situation at YEG and be clear about what it reveals.

Many people recognize that responses from internal employee groups often come from a place of good intent. There is empathy and a desire to support coworkers through disruption. That intent should be acknowledged.

But good intentions are not the same as power.

The limits of informal representation

The reality is that informal employee associations do not have legal authority to hold Onex WestJet accountable.

They cannot
• Enforce scheduling rules
• Require corrective action
• Compel transparency
• File grievances
• Take matters to arbitration
• Prevent the same issues from happening again

At best, concerns can be raised and requests can be made. Whether those requests are acted on depends entirely on management’s discretion.

That is a structural limitation, not a reflection on the people involved.

Borrowed language without enforceable rights

Many of you may have noticed that some scheduling standards and protections referenced at YEG closely resemble language found in the Unifor collective agreement covering unionized WestJet bases.

That is not a coincidence.

Parts of the Unifor Local 531 collective agreement are often applied at YEG when it is convenient for the employer. But selectively applying pieces of an agreement is not the same as being protected by it.

Without being a party to the agreement, YEG workers do not control
• What language applies
• When it applies
• How it is interpreted
• Whether it is enforced

Access to fragments of language is not the same as having rights.

If you want to read the full agreement, it is publicly available here:

unifor.org/sites/default/files/documents/2023-09/westjet_airport_collective_agreement_unifor_local_531.pdf

What union representation actually changes

At unionized WestJet airport bases YYZ, YYC, and YVR, scheduling and workplace rules are governed by a collective agreement that workers negotiated, voted on, and can legally enforce.

That agreement includes
• Mandatory schedule review before rosters are released
• Clear and enforceable limits on schedule changes and work on days off
• Consistent application of seniority
• Overtime pay for additional hours and extensions
• Protection of approved time off
• A grievance and arbitration process when the rules are not followed

These are obligations, not requests.

Why this year matters for YEG

The Unifor WestJet collective agreement will be updated this year through negotiations involving YYZ, YYC, and YVR.

Those negotiations will happen with or without YEG.

Once the agreement is updated, parts of it will likely be applied at YEG again, just as they have been in the past, and again at the employer’s discretion.

The difference is this
• Without YEG organized, language will be written without your direct input
• With YEG at the table, language can be shaped to reflect your specific needs and realities

It is important to remember that the collective agreement is not identical across all bases. YYZ has language that differs from YYC and YVR because workers at those bases were at the table and negotiated what they needed.

What this moment comes down to

This is not about personalities or intent. It is about who has a say.

Good intentions do not replace enforceable rights.
Selective application does not replace collective bargaining.
Being told what applies does not replace helping decide what applies.

Collective agreement protections that would apply in this situation

For those who want to see exactly how a union contract protects workers in situations like the recent YEG scheduling issue, the Unifor WestJet collective agreement includes the following enforceable provisions:

• Article 9 Scheduling
Sets clear rules for schedule creation, notice requirements, and limits on changes to posted schedules

• Article 9 Scheduling Review Committee
Requires advance review of schedules with union representatives to identify staffing gaps before rosters are released

• Article 9 Work on Days Off
Regulates when employees can be scheduled on days off and allows for reasonable refusals related to caregiving, education, or urgent personal matters

• Article 9 Shift Extensions
Limits forced extensions and requires proper application of seniority when additional coverage is needed

• Article 11 Seniority
Ensures fair and consistent application of seniority in scheduling, extensions, and operational changes

• Article 7 Overtime
Requires overtime pay for additional hours worked due to employer scheduling needs

• Article 9 Voluntary Time Off
Protects approved VTO and prevents it from being unilaterally reversed

• Article 18 Grievance and Arbitration
Provides a legally binding enforcement mechanism when the employer does not follow the agreement

These provisions exist because WestJet workers negotiated them, voted on them, and enforce them collectively.

If rules are going to be written and updated anyway, the real question is whether YEG will have a seat at the table when that happens.

If you want to review the agreement or talk about what union representation would mean for YEG, Unifor is here and ready to have that conversation.

In solidarity,
Unifor

Billy O'Neill
Unifor National Representative, Organizing
416.605.1443
billy.oneill@unifor.org

Lucy Alessio
Unifor National Coordinator, Organizing
416.998.3189
lucy.alessio@unifor.org